It's been years since I last listened to Simpson's symphonies, though. Another link might be with Robert Simpson, but more daring and incisive. It reminds me of the stark music of Jon Leifs, but with more purpose, better channelled ideas, more convincing master plan. I find it quite impossible to listen to it with less than my full attention. This is music that unfurls with staggering inevitability until the last chord. From beginning to end, not a note is heard that does not fit into a compelling design. Its most salient feature - to my ears and mind anyway - is the powerful sense of organisation underlying the music. Kinsella's music exerts a fascination I rarely find in other contemporary or modern (say, post-1950) composers. I listened to this disc 3 times in a row.
PS I have just been listening to the 'Nocturne' and realised that from about seven minutes in I was reminded of the music of another composer and realised it reminded me of one of the searching and lyrical moments in Moisei Weinberg's magnificent 5th Symphony.
Coincidentally my brother, a while back, met someone who had worked with John Kinsella at RTE, Dublin and who described him as 'a lovely man'. It is indeed a beautiful, sad, searching and lyrical work. The other features the lovely nine and a half minute 'Nocturne' (a string arrangement from Violin Concerto No. When I sent him my fan letter, many years ago, John Kinsella very kindly arranged for those CDs to be sent to me (one of the CDs features none of his music at all). Actually I do have one other CD in my collection which features Kinsella's music and that is on one of two promotional CDs 'Contemporary Music from Ireland' issued by the Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland. I would like to ask Johan which of the CDs he posted above he thinks I would enjoy most as I only have symphonies 3,4,6 and 7 in my collection although it took me a little while to get into No 7 I now agree that it is possibly (with No 3) the finest of all. I thought that Johan (Christo) was a likely candidate to respond ( ) but thought that might be it. My pleasure John and many thanks to you and the others for the interesting responses - I look forward to hearing your comments on the music. I already own the Marco Polo release (will listen to it soon) and a few nights ago I bought that RTE Lyric recording of Symphonies 6 & 7 and other orchestral works. I'm definitely going to be giving Kinsella a listen. Quote from: Mirror Image on February 13, 2015, 07:10:11 PM Otherwise, this overview also helped me explore more (and caused me to buy all available recordings last Novemberr, among them one of the last copies of his Cello Concerto to be found world-wide ). BTW, a 2012 thesis on all the symphonies is available online (and very helpful). Jeffrey is right: Symphonies 3, 4, 6, 7 are his very best, but every other single symphony is highly rewarding as well. But is a great personality, standing on his own feet. Yes, he can stand comparison with Tubin and Holmboe - my two favourite 'Nordic' composers - and also perhaps Englund, Lilburn, Braga Santos. 1 (1984) and 2 (1988) on Youtube and as mp3 file downloads on the Art-Music Forum - can we see what a great symphonist he actually is.
In the late 1990s, many here had come to admire the Third 'Joie de Vivre' (1989/90) and Fourth 'The Four Provinces' (1990/1) for very good reasons.īut only now - with also nos. Inspired by a short stay in Dublin, this Autumn, I 'discovered' that recently more symphonies had been released on CD. My belief - it won't come as a big surprise - is exactly the same. Vandermolen.if you have already acquired the Tubin and Vagn Holmboe cycles and are looking for another less well known 20th c symphonist offering similar rewards ie tonal,approachable but also something that you can really get your teeth into (Daniel Jones as opposed to George Lloyd) and might need more than one listen to really fully assimilate (ie late Tubin or later Holmboe) would Kinsella be a composer that should be high on my 'shopping list'.apart from 'Noah',of course!!